the top corner. >> understandable. >> me, too. thanks for joining us. welcome to "world news." tonight, frozen nation, more than half the country and another storm descending. families dodge falling ice. epic traffic jam. and football stars and fans prove they're tougher than snow. dangerous drugs, a new alert about the prescription drugs in your medicine cabinet. and mandela's moment, world leaders from every corner of the globe flying to south africa to celebrate his extraordinary life. so how do you keep them all safe? a good evening and welcome to you on this monday as we start the week together with a new storm and 80 million americans facing a wintery mess. take a look at the video coming

in to us. a pileup in wisconsin. one car ricochets down the icy highway causing a chain reaction. and that driver in texas who narrowly misses slabs of ice hurdling toward the ground. abc's extreme weather team is tracking it all tonight, and weather editor ginger zee starts us off. >> reporter: tonight, almost the entire nation is in the perilous grip of winter come early. >> this is unlike anything i've ever seen. >> reporter: in california, chilling winds, and all the way to new england several ice inspired spinouts. this is interstate 91. we're going south to new haven. you can see what happened on the northbound side. all that ice on top of the trees, the road and a huge back-up. over the weekend, deadly collision. near milwaukee, wisconsin, watch this traffic camera catching the entire pileup, car after car crashing into each other. in new york, a mangled mess. >> it's like a hockey rink right

now. >> reporter: in texas, the inches of ice that kept david daugherty, his wife and toddler stuck in the car for 26 hours. >> i have been sitting in the same spot. i have not moved one foot from exit 380 in 11 hours. i've tried calling the police department. i've tried calling everybody and i can't hardly get anyone to answer the phone. >> reporter: officials telling us they were simply overwhelmed by the ice. if you find yourself stuck in your car here are some tips that could save your life. make sure your tail pipe is clear of mud, snow, any of that. you could get carbon monoxide poisoning. keep your emergency kit fresh. finally, stay in your car. don't go wandering. it is your best protection. idling uses about half a gallon of gas an hour so a 15 gallon tank could last up to 30 hours but run your engine only long enough to remove the chill. idling too long could lead to fumes in the car. it wasn't all just on the road.

in texas look at these wild sheets of ice flying off the top of a building. tonight in chicago, the bundling has begun in soldier field. >> we've got battery powered socks, gloves, hands warmers. you name it, we have it. >> reporter: they'll need it. temperatures in the teens, wind chill near zero, mother nature challenging us all with quite the offense. >> here we go again, another storm to talk about. let's get straight to the map. this is for the overnight early morning. going to be a mess for parts of the mid-atlantic and northeast. we're talking some two to four inches for a lot of folks. washington d.c. when you are going to work, philadelphia, new york, it's going to start building through the morning and early afternoon. that's just the beginning of it. that cold behind. you saw that forecast in chicago. those folks need to remember, hydrate, avoid the caffeine and alcohol, and chug water. diane? >> thanks so much, ginger, and of course that weather map means

from the roads to the airports the storm is going to leave hundreds of people stranded. endless delays. today more than 1,600 flights were cancelled across the nation. abc's clayton sandell reporting on the waiting game from the dallas-fort worth airports. >> reporter: in chicago today the plows are working overtime to clear runways but they could not plow away the frustrations of tens of thousands of stranded travelers like this man. >> i'm upset because really i don't know when i'm going to leave here. >> reporter: he and his family spent the night in the terminal at o'hare. deluxe accommodations around the country amounting to chairs in san francisco and cots in dallas. >> i'm this close to starting to begin to be frustrated here. >> reporter: cancellations hit dallas the hardest. since the storm began, more than 12,000 flights nationwide grounded. this was the problem here at dallas-fort worth. thick layers of dangerous ice that turned this entire tarmac and the runways into a virtual

hockey rink. 4,000 dallas fliers spent the night in the concourse friday. some couldn't leave for days. >> when you get freezing rain turning into ice, it's very different than snow. it's four times as dense. it's much thicker and it's very hard to plow. >> reporter: amid the travel nightmares, a few notes of holiday cheer just when it's needed most. clayton sandell, abc news, dallas. thanks to clayton. just 15 days before christmas we wondered if this wicked weather is throwing a curveball to shipping all the christmas presents. we talked to fedex and ups and they say they have their own meteorologists on staff and expect to make up any lost weather time in a few days so santa's helpers do not need to worry. now the as yan know jumbo jet crash in san francisco back

in the news tonight as new details emerge raising new concern over what is known as automation addiction. abc news confirming that investigators will look at whether pilots relied too much on computerized controls and didn't realize the plane didn't have enough power to reach the runway. the ntsb begins hearings tomorrow. also examining by the way if the pilots had enough training manually to fly that plane out of trouble. we move next tonight to nelson mandela and world leaders from across the globe descending on south africa, including american presidents past and present. today president and mrs. obama were seen boarding air force one and on board a kind of presidential car pool. former first lady, secretary hillary clinton and laura bush and former president george w. bush. on board the group sharing memories of mandela as all eyes turned toward johannesburg and the service now just hours away. abc's chief foreign correspondent terry moran is there. >> reporter: doves released into

the skies outside nelson mandela's home today, a fitting tribute for a great man of peace. in johannesburg, meanwhile, it was all business. workers prepping the fnb stadium, capacity 94,000, for the massive memorial service taking place here tomorrow. security preparations are intense, and with good reason. the world has never seen a gathering of leaders like this one. flying in from more than 90 countries, from argentina to pakistan, trinidad to china, including four u.s. presidents, obama, who has been chosen to speak tomorrow and three of his predecessors which has the american ambassador here scrambling. >> the president went wheels up about an hour and a half ago. so, they're all coming at us. >> reporter: mandela's passing is a global event, but it is also personal. today, his daughter, maki mandela, spoke to the bbc about his last moments, surrounded by his wife, graca machel and his family. >> the children were there, the grandchildren were there. graca was there so we're always

around him. ♪ nelson mandela nelson mandela ♪ >> reporter: mandela touched so many, so deeply. this afternoon, we met a young entrepreneur in a shanty town near pretoria. he built his internet café with his own hands, and despite the desperate poverty here, he's dreaming big. >> twenty years in the future, maybe, i might be another mandela. >> reporter: you can feel it here, at this spontaneous memorial outside his home, mandela's presence in the lives and dreams of so many. and tomorrow, at the unprecedented gathering of presidents and princes and ordinary people, the whole world will say good-bye. diane? >> thank you so much, terry. later on byron pitts will have more on mandela and a powerful moment that shook a racist culture to the core. and from south africa we head now to some strange pictures out of north korea, the mysterious nation has confirmed a shakeup at the very top, a deadly family feud.

the unpredictable leader kim jong-un ousted his uncle and mentor who was considered the power player in the shadows. he was being arrested right there during a meeting, hauled away by police, accused of corruption, womanizing, drug abuse and, quote, capitalist life-style. a stunning fall from grace from a man who was never far from his nephew. you can see him in photos with him just a few feet from the protege. look again because tonight his image has been scrubbed out of those official photos. now back here in this country, a top doctors group has a new warning tonight about the prescription painkillers in your medicine cabinet. abc's dr. richard besser with more on all of this for us and what it means. >> reporter: it's the danger sitting right there in your medicine cabinet. drug overdoses, largely fueled by the wild rise in prescription painkillers are now killing more

americans per year than car accidents on our highways. accidental overdoses from prescription painkillers have quadrupled in just a decade. one reason, doctors are prescribing more and more percocet, vicodin, oxycontin and we can't seem to stop taking them. in fact, almost all of abused pain meds start as legitimate prescriptions for real pain. then a growing number of addicts buy leftover pills or just take them from friends' medicine cabinets. today's medical group is the latest calling for tougher rules and some are coming. expect to see fewer pills per prescription, and a mandatory visit to the doctor to get a renewal and no more prescriptions over the phone. >> this is a problem because we never throw pills away. here's what you do. go to your medicine cabinet and get rid of pain medicines or sleeping pills that you no longer use. you can't just throw them in the trash or flush them down the toilet. check with your police department. they may have a drop box or get a ziploc bag and put the pills in there, add water, coffee grounds or kitty litter, shake

it up and throw it away and you will know that no one is going to get to it. >> at least this is a beginning of addressing the problem. >> only a part but it can help. >> thank you so much, rich. we like to tell you about trends and changing tastes in america, and tonight a sign the diet soda craze may be losing its fizz. abc's david wright looks at a sign of the times and what we're drinking instead. ♪ tab cola >> reporter: back in the 80s and 90s diet soft drinks lent new fizz to the soda wars. featuring the greatest athletes and the sexiest super models. >> some things never change. >> reporter: but some things do. new sales figures suggest america's love affair with diet soft drinks may have lost its pop. for nine straight years sales have been dropping. for the past three the drop-off in diet soda has been steeper

than regular soft drinks. zero and low calorie beverages down nearly seven percent this year. regular soda down two percent. >> we used to drink regular and then say, i'm drinking diet. it's fine. but the reality is these days we're becoming a little bit of a confession in my office where i eat generally okay but i have to confess, i drink diet soda. >> reporter: why the drop? some don't trust artificial sweetene sweeteners. also, drinking sugar-free soda does not guarantee weight loss. one study found that test subjects who drank two or more diet soft drinks a day had their waist lines grow five times faster than those who drank no soft drinks. >> true confessions, did you ever drink this stuff? >> i did. when i was in graduate school i drank it and then i quit. now i won't even sip it because i'm afraid i'll like it and get back to it. >> reporter: the american

beverage association said us, "our industry believes in the soft drink business and sees an opportunity for continued innovation and growth. the biggest growth these days is energy drinks and good old fashioned water, pure and simple. david wright, abc news, los angeles. and right here on "world news," with so many of us on the road slipping and sliding into a holiday headache, how you can make sure those holiday fender benders don't put a huge dent in your holiday budget. our "real money" team is back. take a look at this, the surprise orchestra suddenly appearing out of nowhere. a classy burst of holiday cheer and we're back in two minutes. bob will retire when he's 153, which would be fine if bob were a vampire. but he's not. ♪ he's an architect with two kids and a mortgage. luckily, he found someone

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accidents often do the most damage to your wallet. abc's paula faris and how to keep the money in your pocket. >> reporter: the weather outside is frightful, and so is the damage it can do to your car. car insurance claims in december -- almost 20% higher than the rest of the year. here at great bear auto body shop, mechanic audra fordin tells us the work is piling up. >> we get a lot of snow. we definitely get jammed up with a lot of repairs. >> reporter: this accident on icy roads happened just this morning. >> a bumper, a fender. >> reporter: the most common, body damage or a busted bumper coasting anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. with a few simple tips you can put the brakes on spending a bundle. tip number one get the best price. when we met the ray brand family of san francisco this summer they needed a tune-up but local mechanics quoting them wildly different prices.

>> $250, $310, $325. >> reporter: repair pal gives you the average cost for the same service in your area so you know you're getting a fair deal. tip number two, if your repair is simple, why not have them come to you. with "your mechanic" sprouting up around the country, you'll pay a lot less. >> they don't have to have a garage and all the overhead that that requires. >> reporter: finally, tip number three, if you need road side assistance, towing, getting pulled out of a snowy ditch, you may already have it and not know it. some credit cards include the service. check with your company to see if you are covered. believe it or not, most cell phone companies also offer road side assistance. verizon wireless offering the service for $3 a month. if you are in a fender bender document everything. your phone is your best friend. not just pictures of the damage but the roadside, the weather, the skids. most importantly, document the other driver's information. diane, just a few simple snaps

could save you thousands of dollars in insurance claims. >> paula faris on real money for us tonight. when we come back in our "instant index," news about a beloved cast member from the movie "the sound of music." ♪ the hills are alive with the sound of music ♪ alive with the sound of music ♪ if yand you're talking toevere rheuyour rheumatologistike me, about trying or adding a biologic. this is humira, adalimumab. this is humira working to help relieve my pain. this is humira helping me through the twists and turns. this is humira helping to protect my joints from further damage. doctors have been prescribing humira for over ten years. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. for many adults, humira is proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis.

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as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these symptoms to your doctor. tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer; worsening prostate symptoms; decreased sperm count; ankle, feet or body swelling; enlarged or painful breasts; problems breathing while sleeping; and blood clots in the legs. common side effects include skin redness or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting and increase in psa. ask your doctor about axiron. this is a map of the pressure points on my feet. i have flat feet. i learned where the stress was at the dr.scholl's foot mapping center. then i got my number, which matched the custom fit orthotic inserts with the right support. find a walmart with a foot mapping center at drscholls.com. i'm a believer. afghanistan in 2009. on the u.s.s. saratoga in 1982.

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christmas classic. then the band started to grow and grow and grow. even a harpist joined in and then cue a chorus. ♪ let every heart >> a hush fell over the crowd as the families relished the flash mob of christmas cheer. ♪ joy to the world and in late news tonight, we have a passing to note, a member of the iconic cast of the movie, "the sound of music." >> all that worrying for nothing, georg. you thought you wouldn't find a friend at the party. >> the baroness who vied for the captain's attention facing off with a plucky nun named maria.

the barronness was brought to life by eleanor parker who has died at the age of 91. still ahead here a return to that stadium and the powerful moment in history when nelson mandela's simple gesture at a rugby match unified a nation. a look back at the turning point when we return. a look back at the turning point when we return.

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finally tonight, sports, politics and changing the course of history on the field. abc's byron pitts in south africa tonight with a reminder how leadership reached across a racial divide. >> reporter: tomorrow and perhaps for the final time, south africans will stand in a stadium cheering nelson mandela's name. it's certainly not the first time. >> nelson, nelson! nelson! >> reporter: in 1995 at the rugby world championship, the moment so powerful, they made a movie out of it. >> i want to thank you for what you have done for our country. >> reporter: invictus tells the story of when mandela simply put on a rugby jersey and suddenly, unexpectedly, united this nation. fracois piennar who captained that spring bok team.

>> when he walked into the dressing room wearing a springbok on his heart, it was just wow! >> reporter: for black south africans, the spring bok symbolized all that was evil about the racist system of apartheid. blacks played soccer. whites rugby. the rough nature of the sport, a metaphor for the brutish reality of apartheid. the list of daily indignities ran long and cut deep. in a country 80% black, whites by law owned 90% of the land. schools were segregated. inter racial marriages forbidden. >> what was the like being a black boy in south africa? >> it was terrible. >> reporter: 42 year old charlie masala remembers. we met tonight outside mr. mandela's home. >> this place we are standing right now is because of mandela. >> reporter: 24 years ago, blacks were not allowed in this wealthy neighborhood after dark. >> during this time you and me would have been in jail. you look a little bit black so you'd be in jail with me. >> reporter: masala calls this time sweet sorrow for south

africans. their guiding light is gone, but while it was here, nelson mandela used his gifts in a game and changed the world. byron pitts, abc news, johannesburg. >> we thank you so much for watching. abc news will have live coverage of the nelson mandela memorial service tomorrow morning at 4:00 a.m. eastern time. we're always here at abcnews.com. "nightline" later and i'll see you tomorrow. tonight, street corner marketplaces being taken down. >> tonight you'll see what is being done to keep streets safe.

>> another clear, cold night over the bay area, where freeze warnings under affect in just a moment. and east bay boys choir invited to celebrate the life of nelson mandela. we are facing another fight of subfreezing temperatures from a huge mass of cold air showing signs of releasing it's icy grip if the bay area. >> looks like we're going to get one more night of the frosty conditions before temperatures begin to return to near normal. black ice formed on freeways overnight. this is highway 24 tochlt begin our length of time,

it's unbelievable. i was born and raised here. >> beginning our team coverage let's turn first to live doppler seven hd. spencer i think we're ready for this. >> i hope we are. because it's first and second night. we should be prepared mentally for this. it's cold already in some spots. this morning the second consecutive morning of the freeze warning, low temperatures dropping to 19 degrees this morning in four bay area locations. clear lake, santa rosa, napa, and novato. 25 degrees in san jose breaking old record low from this date. covering bait area, except the city of san francisco. look for subfreezing temperatures across the area. low 20s into inland valleys and below 20 degrees in spots as it did